Electrical socket and contact therefor



Aug. 7, 1951 s. M. DEL CAMP ELECTRICAL SOCKET AND CONTACT THEREFOR Filed Sept. 7, 1946 Jo ipione MEI/Camp.

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Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL SOCKET AND CONTACT THEREFOR 2 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to electrical sockets and. the like as well as the contacts therefor for use with multiple pronged electrical devices, such as thermionic tubes, and aims genorally to improve both the construction of the socket and the contact.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of an improved socket of the above described type-wherein all metallic conducting parts are completely housed and protected by insulation material.

A further object of the invention is the pro vision of an improved electric socket having a multiplicity of prcngrcceiving sockets and wiring terminals wherein leakage of electrical current across the contacts or terminals is elimihated or reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is the pro vision of improved sockets and contact devices of such novel construction as to simplify the as sembly of the installation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved prong-receiving contact and wiring terminal that may be readily and economically electrically connected to an insulated conductor and thereafter assembled in the socket body.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a prong-receiving socket having a wiring terminal portion designed to grip the body of an insulated conductor and relieve the electrical connection therebetween of strain tending to break or disrupt the electrical connection.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates, from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification, illustrating and describing one preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is an enlarged top plan view of a multiple prong-receiving socket embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof, part of the bottom closure plates being broken away better to illustrate the construction;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the socket, the section being taken on the line 3-4 of Fig. l, a fragmental portion of a pronged electrical device being illustrated in a portion ready for en- Ehgfiment in the socket;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one embodiment of improved prong-receiving contact and wiring terminal according to the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the prong-receiving contact and wiring terminal illustrated in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the socket comprises a suitably shaped body 5 of insulating ma terial, preferably a molded body of thermo-set-- ting dielectric plastic composition, or any suitable phenolic condensation product, and is provided. with laterally disposed separate contactreceiving recesses or pockets 6 and wiring terminal-receiving recesses or pockets 1. The body oi the socket may have its upper portion formed with a recess 8 to receive a portion of an electrical device 9, for example, the base end of a thermionic or electronic tube or the like and is also provided with prong-receiving apertures 15! communicating between the recess 5 and the inner ends of the contact-receiving pockets through which the prongs ll of the device 9 are adapted to be passed. Conveniently the body 5 may be an annular body adapted to be inserted. in a circular opening in a support (not shown) and may have a peripheral support-engagi -g bead or flange 12 to be secured to a support in any of the conventional ways, as is well understood by persons skilled in the art. In certain installations the electrical device or tube 9 may be otherwise mounted than by the socket, in which case the support-engaging flange l2 may be omitted, if desired. The body 5 may be provided with a central bore l3 having one or more radial elongations, to receive a non-circular loeating prong (not shown) on the device 9, as is customary in certain installations.

The body 5 of the sockets is preferably so molded or constructed that the device-receiving recess 8 and the laterally spaced recesses B and l are separated by a horizontal partition I5 disposed in a plane normal to the axis of said recesses. The laterally spaced recesses 6 and 1 preferably open through the bore of the body 5 and preferably are radially spaced, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, being separated by a partition or wall It integral with the body 5. As herein illustrated, the contact-receivin recess 6 is inner most and may be of triangular cross section and the wiring terminal-receiving recess l is outermost and may be of rectangular cross section. The side wall portions of the body 5 may be formed with openings ll communicating with the outer ends of the recesses or pockets 7 for the passage of conductors therethrough.

The outer end of the body adjacent the outer ends of the recesses 5 and T may be closed by a closure plate 58 of insulating material and secured to the body 5 by suitable fastenings IQ, for example screws, and the closure plate [8 may have openings 20 adjacent its periphery communicating with the outer ends of the wiring terminal pockets or recesses l for the passage of a conductor as will be apparent.

The contact-receiving pockets 6 and the wiring terminal-receiving pockets 1 are adapted to receive and completely house laterally spaced juxtapositioned prong-receiving contact portions and wiring terminal portions of a connector member 25, one suitable embodiment of which is illustrated in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. As herein illustrated, the connector member 25 is formed of a single unitary construction having laterally spaced prong-receiving contact and wiring terminal portions 2% and 2! connected by a fastener portion 28 adapted for slip-fastener engagement with a supporting wall, for example the partitions l6.

According to one embodiment of the invention the connector 25 may be formed. from a single strip of conductive material, for example metal, having a U-shaped central portion 30 and spaced legs 3| of resilient material adapted for fastener I engagement with the opposite faces of the partition [6. One of the legs is formed with a laterally offset prong-receiving contact portion 26 comprising wings 32 joined to the legs 3| by connecting portions 33 and preferably angularly disposed with reference to the leg 3! so as to provide therebetween a triangularly shaped prong-receiving opening. The upper or terminal ends of the leg 3| and wings 32 forming the contact 26 may be curved inwardly for tensional electrical contact engagement with a prong I0 inserted therebetween as is well understood in the art.

The opposite leg 34 of the central portion 30 is formed with a tubular or sleeve-like wiring terminal 21, preferably consisting of semi-circular wings 34 adapted to embrace a substantial length of the insulation 50 of an insulating conductor, the end of the core 5! of which is electrically connected to the outside of one of the wings 34 as by soldering thereto.

The wings 34 of the wiring terminal present a relatively long split tubular sleeve adapted to embrace and grip the insulation covering 56 of an insulated conductor and to support the conductor at its end. The core of the conductor is thus relieved of strain tending to separate or disrupt the electrical connection. For convenience of assembly the core 5| of the conductor may be dip-soldered to the sleeve.

In use, the connectors 25 are attached to the insulated conductor in the manner above de.- scribed, and then may be assembled in the socket merely by slipping the central U-shaped portion 28 of the connectors over the edge of the partition is which it grips in fastening engagement. The prong-receiving contact portion 25 is then positioned in and completely housed in the recess or pocket 1. The depth of the partition is is preferably slightly less than the body 5 of the socket between adjacent pairs of pockets so that all conductive parts of the connector are housed in and surrounded by insulating material of the body 5 and closure plate l8. This eliminates or reduces to a minimum any current leakage across adjacent connections, and prevents shock to persons handling or working with the socket. Moreover, when the tube prongs are positioned in the socket in engagement with the contacts, the terminal ends of the prongs and contacts are short of the outer face of the socket, thus insulating the prongs and contact against accidental touch.

The socket and contact are particularly adapted for electronic tube sockets, such as kinescope vacuum tubes as used to reflect images in television transmission. Such tubes may have a larger number of terminal prongs l 0, for example 12 in number. The present construction provides a socket of relatively small diameter having a maximum number of prong-receiving contacts for such tubes so that the socket need require no more area than the base 9 of the tube.

As will be apparent from Fig. 2, the insulated conductor 50 may be connected into the socket laterally through the openings I! or endwise through the openings 20 in the cover plate l8.

The construction of the contact member 25 with associated wiring terminal and fastener means such as the resilient fingers or legs 3| makes possible the ready assembly of the multiplicity of conduits and contacts in the socket in secured position prior to application of the closure plate.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of the invention, I do not intend to be limited thereto as the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical socket comprising a body of insulating material provided with substantially parallel faces at opposite ends thereof, said body having a plurality of pairs of spaced cavities therein extending inwardly from one face thereof toward but stopping short of the opposite face, a plurality of prong-receiving apertures opening on the opposite face of said body and each communicating with one of the cavities of each pair, an insulating wall separating the cavities of each pair one from the other, and a resilient U-shaped connector embracing the end of each of said insulating walls and having its opposed leg portions in frictional gripping engagement with the opposite side faces thereof, one of the leg portions of each connector having a prong-receiving contact portion disposed within the cavity of each .pair which communicates with the prong-receiving aperture, the other leg portion of each connector having a wiring terminal portion disposed within the other cavity of each pair.

2. An electrical socket comprising a body of insulating material provided with substantially parallel faces at opposite ends thereof, an annular series of prong-receiving contact cavities extending inwardly from one of said faces and communicating at their inner ends with an annular series of prong-receiving apertures extending inwardly from the other of said faces, an annular series of contact terminal cavities extending inwardly from said one face and stopping short of said other face, said annular series of prong-receiving contact cavities and contact terminal cavities being arranged in pairs, an insulating wall separating the cavities of each pair one from the other and having an open sided passage at the end thereof extending between said paired cavities, and a resilient U-shaped connector having its central base portion disposed in the passage in each of said insulating walls 5 and its opposed leg portions in frictional gripping engagement with the opposite side faces thereof, one of the leg portions of each connector having a prong-receiving contact portion disposed Within the cavity of each pair which communicates with the prong-receiving aperture, the other leg portion of each connector having a wiring terminal portion disposed within the other cavity of each pair.

SCIPIONE M. DEL CAMP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,696,406 Masley et a1 Dec. 25, 1928 1,768,669 Davis July 1, 1930 Number 10 Number Name Dat 4 Martin Oct. 13, 1931 Kulka Nov. 1, 1932 Crawford Nov. 13, 1934 Alden Aug. 8, 1939 Alden Mar. 10, 1942 Drawing June 8, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date England Jan. 29, 1931 England July 10, 1941 Germany Nov. 23, 1932 Germany Nov. 21, 1933 

